Eau Claire School Board approves referendum

Posted:
Monday, August 15, 2016 5:39 PM EDT

Eau Claire (WQOW) - This fall, voters in Eau Claire will decide an $87-million question about their children's future.

On Monday night, the Eau Claire School Board met to formally approve approving the district's referendum. Abby Johnson, the district's acting director of business services, said the question will ask voters to pass or not pass a $5.8 million referendum for the 2016-2017 school year and for each year after that for the next 14 years. News 18 reported on August 1 when board members approved the wording of the referendum question. Staff said the district has about $21 million in maintenance repairs, many of which haven't been done because of lack of funding.

"By doing $5.8 million, that would cover our deficit. We would like to issue debt for all of these long deferred maintenance projects because we have $9 million worth of roofs,” Johnson said. “By issuing debt, we can gain some economies of scale and be able to pay for all of those projects at once instead of having to space them out for the next 15 years. That debt service piece is in there so that we can get the cash upfront, get those projects done and then pay for those projects for the next 15 years."

The board said if this referendum is passed, the owner of a $100,000 home would see their taxes increase $95 per year, or $7.92 per month.